GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN
January/February, 2003
CONTENTS
v GOPIO Expresses Sadness and Sympathy for
Loss in Columbia Shuttle Tragedy
v Ode for Kalpana
v Pravasi Bharatiya Divas A
Successful Event
v We Dont Want Your Riches, We Want Richness
of Your Experience
v GOPIO Convention in New Delhi a Great
Success
v Cyclone Hits Fiji GOPIO Launches Fund Drive
v PIO Human Rights Violations Conference
Scheduled
v GOPIO Mauritius Launched
GOPIO EXPRESSES SADNESS AND SYMPATHY FOR LOSS IN COLUMBIA SHUTTLE
TRAGEDY
We, the members of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), were shocked and saddened by the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003. We join all Americans in expressing our deepest condolences to the family members of the Columbia crew. In particular, we mourn the loss of a member of the PIO family, Dr. Kalpana Chawla, who was the first PIO, the first Asian American woman and the first Indian American to rocket into space. She made NRIs/PIOs, India and USA proud. In fact, her selection to go in the space shuttle for the second time raised the dimension of our pride to another level.
Dr. Chawla was a talented individual and a fine astronaut. She was a trailblazer, a role-model that the NRI/PIO youth would look up to. Her example would inspire many young girls not only in India but all over the world. Dr. Chawla and her crewmates represent the finest in space exploration and science. They leave a long-lasting legacy that will inspire others to continue the work they left behind.
We send our deepest sympathy and prayers to the crew's family members.
GOPIO Board Members
P.O.
Box 1413
Stamford,
CT 06903, USA
Ode for Kalpana
Ode for Kalpana
By Robert D. Blackwill
(Blackwill, who has taught poetry at university, is
U.S. Ambassador to India.)
With years as first in her class
She knew the fears ?
That if you ask too much of it
Metal shrieks, tears,
Falls apart in pieces.
A technical fact to her.
All the world to us.
Fire consumes a nation's heart.
This Karnal girl sought the skies.
Space shuttles whispered in her ear
And she answered head to feet.
We keep her smile in that last video.
Like Seneca, she thought
"The whole universe is my native land."
Now more than ever, dear one.
We weep.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS A SUCCESSFUL EVENT
Over 2000 delegates from 66 countries participated in the first ever
event organized Ministry of External Affairs of the Govt. of India and
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The event is scheduled to be an
annual event recognizing and celebrating people of Indian origin everywhere.
In spite of the chaos and mismanagement in the registrations, security
check and delegates seating, the meeting served a useful purpose of providing a
networking opportunity for a large number of PIOs and NRIs. The meeting was
addressed by Prime Minister Vajpayee, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhahwat
and all senior cabinet members. Prominent PIO luminaries included two Nobel
Prize recipients, current and former prime ministers of Indian origin, leading
businessmen, academicians, political leaders and organization leaders.
Prime Minister Vajpayee in his inaugural address (see full text below)
announced Dual Nationality for PIOs from selected countries. The Prime Minister
also announced other benefits such as, for the welfare of NRIs in the Gulf region a compulsory insurance
scheme for Indian workers migrating to this region would be unveiled and the
Parliament would consider a bill to establish a welfare fund for the overseas
Indian workers. To meet the educational needs of children of workers in the
Gulf, the govt. plans to reserve a certain proportion of seats in the Indian
academic institutions for the children of the Gulf NRIs.
In 1989, the National Federation of Indian-American Associations (NFIA)
organized such an event, the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin
where over 3,000 delegates from 26 countries participated. The Global
Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) was formed at this convention.
Since then, GOPIO has been providing a platform of Indian communities to net
work and advance their interests on a global scale.
GOPIO feels that improvements are needed in the following areas:
- The whole
conference was India-centric. There should have been enough opportunities
to hear from the PIO communities worldwide.
- While there
was a great representation from the Indian Government including over a
dozen ministers, the delegates were deprived of the opportunity to listen
to the leaders of the opposition parties.
- There are
many dedicated stalwarts who have helped and worked with the NRI/PIO
communities in the last two decades including former President K.R.
Narayanan, former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral and former Ambassador Dr.
Karan Singh. They should have been in included in the program.
- There was a
terrible gender imbalance among the speakers.
- The
break-out sessions had many eminent personalities from India and from outside
as panelists. However, their time were not
properly utilized and many of them were
not given the opportunity to make presentations. The program missed a great
opportunity to have a meaningful dialogue to develop NRI/PIO cooperation
with India in many of the breakout session topics.
- We could
have done away with Bollywood show on the second day night. Such shows are not unique and are performed in
all major cities of the world. When the show was open to the general
public, the situation became a free-for-all,
resulting in kicking and pushing of the delegates. Instead of a
Bollywood show, a more
appreciative presentation of Indian folk dances would have been
appropriate.
Barring these issues, the program was a success.
GOPIO thanks Prime Minister Vajpayee for his commitment for NRI/PIO causes and
for appointing the High Level Diaspora Committee which ultimately resulted in
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. GOPIO compliments Dr. L.M. Singhvi and Mr. J.C. Sharma
and all officials of FICCI with special mention of Dr. Amit Mitra and Vivek
Bharati for a job well done.
WE DO NOT WANT YOUR RICHES, JUST THE RICHNESS OF YOUR EXPERIENCE
-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(PM Vajpayees speech
at the inaugural session of the First Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations, New
Delhi, January 9, 2003).
Your Excellency, Sir Anerood Jugnauth; Eminent representatives of the global
Indian family; Distinguished Guests,
My simple greeting to all of you here today is: Welcome Home.
Many of you are citizens of your adopted countries. Over 20 million of you have
set up home in scores of countries, near and far. But each one of you shares a
common identity-your Indianness-and a common origin -- this Motherland of your
forefathers. Therefore, this great gathering, which is the first of its kind,
is truly a homecoming.
It is also a grand occasion for the country to pay tribute to its sons and
daughters who have succeeded in reaching the pinnacle in so many diverse fields
of human endeavor all over the world.
There is yet another important aspect of this unique celebration of the Pravasi
Bharatiya's association with his land of origin. Many of you -- or your
forefathers -- left India in search of fortune or a better livelihood. Today,
India has itself become a land of opportunity. We want to share with our
extended family our achievements, hopes, concerns, aspirations and goals. Your
awareness of our current national course and understanding of our perspectives
would enrich your bonds with India and heighten your sense of belonging in the
global Indian family.
Friends, The odyssey of our people to the four corners of the globe has been a
saga of courage, enterprise and character. In ancient times, our forefathers
went to distant lands as traders, monks, teachers and temple builders. A
century and a half ago, Indian indentured labor was sent forth to sugar, tea
and rubber plantations in near and far-flung parts of the British Empire. They
worked on lands as far apart as Fiji and Mauritius, Suriname and Sri Lanka,
Trinidad and Burma, Guyana and Malaysia.
The next wave of emigration was of entrepreneurs and traders who sailed
intrepidly into uncharted waters for unknown countries. Since the 70's, young
Indian professionals have been migrating abroad to corporate boardrooms,
research laboratories, engineering workshops and university faculties. The
emigration of doctors, nurses, engineers, managers, plumbers, and electricians
to West Asia and the Gulf, has seen a steady growth.
Today, the success of every category of these emigrants all over the world
testifies to the indomitable spirit, which they carried from Indian soil. It is
a tribute to their patience and forbearance in the face of hardship, rebuke and
denial. It speaks of their dedication to their chosen professions, overcoming
various trials and tribulations.
Friends, on this day, 88 years ago, Mahatma
Gandhi returned to India after nearly 20 years as a Pravasi Bharatiya in South
Africa. His struggle against discrimination, deprivation and exploitation of
Indians in South Africa not only fired the imagination of Indian patriots, it
also inspired a spate of freedom movements right across the African continent.
Out of those freedom movements emerged Pravasi Bharatiya heroes like
Seewoosagar Ramgoolam of Mauritius; Yusuf Dadoo and Monty Naicker of South
Africa; Cheddi Jagan of Guyana; Jagernath Lachmon of Suriname and many others.
Not many people today remember the painful Kamagatamaru episode of the early
20th century, when a boatload of Sikhs from India were most brutally left to
fend for themselves on the high seas off the coast of Canada. Today, Sikhs are
among the most prosperous Canadians and are increasingly influential in
Canadian politics. In Ujjal Dossanj, we honor one such prominent Canadian
figure.
Even the illiterate indentured plantation laborers empowered succeeding
generations through a determined pursuit of education. Sir Vidia Naipaul, Sir
Anerood Jugnauth, Dato Samy Vellu and millions of others are living symbols of
the transformation of an oppressed community to leaders of society in the space
of a few generations.
Let us remember that unlike the British, the French, the Dutch and the Germans,
India was never a maritime power. All the same, Indians ventured forth across
the seas to set up new homes in new lands. They went in peace, often with
nothing more than faith in their destiny. No country can claim that Indians
entered its territory in the spirit of colonialism. This also is a glorious
tribute to you and your forefathers. Few people who entered foreign lands can
claim such a testimony.
Friends, Pandit Nehru once remarked that wherever there is an Indian, a bit of
India goes with him. Pravasi Indians have truly taken India abroad -- Indian
culture, Indian society and Indian traditions, not to mention Indian films and
Indian cuisine!
The outside world has also attracted the best Indian talents, skills, brains
and abilities -- like Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati, E. C. G. Sudarshan and
S. Chandrashekhar, Hargobind Khorana and Zubin Mehta. The Pravasi Bharatiya
family today also includes:
Indian writers in English with an international readership; Entrepreneurs and
industrialists with a global reach of operations; Management and lifestyle
gurus with a huge following; and, Filmmakers, sportspersons, artists and
performers of great popularity.
They have dramatically changed the world's perception of Indians, and hence of
India. They have provoked a new appreciation of this land, which has produced
and exported so many achievers. They have built bridges of understanding
between the international community and India.
The benchmarks for success, which the Pravasi community has set, are a
challenge for us in India. They make us examine why the Indian is so much more
innovative, productive and successful abroad than in his own country. They prod
us to create a business, investment and economic climate, which is as conducive
to success as anywhere else in the world. I assure you that we are fully
committed to creating such an environment in India.
We are modernizing our infrastructure. Our telecom facilities are already as
good as anywhere in the world. The combination of India-based IT companies and
Indian professionals abroad have made India a premier software power. We are
building world-class highways through our National Highway Development Project.
Our rural roads network is being upgraded. We have ambitious plans for
airports, ports, and railways. Housing construction has acquired an
unprecedented speed. Literacy, especially women's literacy, has registered a
marked rise over the last decade.
We are aware of the slow progress in several areas of our social sector
development, but we are determined to move faster than before. All in all, we
are guided by the ambitious goal of making India a Developed Nation by 2020,
free from all vestiges of poverty and full of opportunities for all our one
billion people. We would like to create an environment in India which will make
you want to return, not just for sentimental or emotional reasons, but in the
conviction that you can excel in this country as much as you could anywhere
else in the world.
I believe that the Pravasi Bharatiya can be a catalyst for rapid change in this
direction. Each of you, through your network of friends, relatives and
acquaintances can create a strong urge for change in India. Our collective
attention needs to be rescued from the sterile controversies and trivial issues
that dominate the headlines, and focused on the real tasks to be accomplished,
so that Indian can catch up with the developed world.
At the same time, you can project the truth about India to the world in a
credible and effective manner. Misleading, one-sided and negative pictures are
often put out due to bias, ignorance or design. Your familiarity with the
Indian reality and with the perspectives of your adopted society equips you to
correct such misrepresentations. You could project a positive image of India --
not as propaganda, but as a true reflection of the reality on the ground.
For example:
India continues to have one of the fastest
growing economies, at a time when most developed economies have slowed down.
Our exports grew by 19 per cent, in spite
of a global slowdown and a strong rupee.
Till recently, India needed to import food grain to feed its population. Last
year, we exported food grain worth over 60 billion rupees to 25 countries.
About a decade ago, we had to mortgage our gold to tide over a difficult
balance of payments crisis. Today, we have record foreign exchange reserves of
nearly 70 billion dollars. How often have we seen such facts quoted outside the
country? It is far more likely that mindless political gossip or isolated acts
of crime and violence would dominate the headlines around the world.
Friends, India has been deeply appreciative
of the support of the Pravasi Bharatiya community, at times of need. Whenever
India has faced a challenge to its security or to its territorial integrity,
you have tirelessly championed its cause. When there was an effort to isolate India
after our nuclear tests of 1998, you came forward to stand by India. Your
enthusiastic response to our Resurgent India Bonds in 1998 helped us raise over
4 billion dollars, when we needed it most.
Many of you have been generously helping the schools, colleges, IITs and
universities, as their grateful alumni. I commend this gesture of Guru
Dakshina. Some of you have met me with interesting suggestions on how to expand
the scope of Pravasi Bharatiya involvement in the development of India's
educational infrastructure. The Ministry of Human Resource Development also has
taken some initiatives in this direction. Since education is going to be one of
the main competitive strengths of India in the emerging Knowledge Society, let
us work together to seize the opportunity.
In this context, I will take the luxury of offering a word of advice. The
Indian community abroad often reflects the diversity, which is the hallmark of
our society here. We are proud of this diversity -- whether it is linguistic, religious
or regional. Groupings like the Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi and Marathi associations
serve a useful purpose in preserving linguistic skills and regional cultures.
But it is also necessary to strengthen the broader Indian identity in the
country of your residence. When you are united as Indians, your voice carries
greater weight: both for highlighting issues of your concern in your host
country, and for promoting Indian causes. This is a truth of great long-term
significance for Indian communities everywhere.
I have always been conscious of the need for India to be sensitive to the
hopes, aspirations and concerns of its vast Diaspora. It is like a parental
charge. It is also an obligation derived from our civilization heritage.
It was with this perspective that we set up a High Level Committee, headed by
DR Laxmi Mal Singhvi, to examine all matters relating to the interaction of the
community with India. I would like to congratulate DR Singhvi and his
colleagues for the thorough and exhaustive nature of their report.
The idea of celebrating the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas annually flows from the
recommendations of the Committee. The revised and improved scheme for PIO Cards
is also based on the ideas of the Committee.
Friends, Indians who have chosen to settle in foreign lands should be loyal to
their country of adoption. The biggest challenge facing every immigrant
community is to integrate harmoniously into the political, economic and social
life of the host society, while preserving and cherishing its civilization
heritage. Over the years, Indians have achieved this delicate balance virtually
everywhere, without a contradiction between their adopted citizenship and their
original Indian identity.
It is in this background that my government has decided to accept the
High-level Committee's recommendation to permit dual citizenship for People of
Indian Origin living in certain countries. We are now working on the
administrative regulations and procedures governing dual citizenship. We will
introduce the necessary legislation during the Budget Session of Parliament.
The NRI of today is the Pravasi Bharatiya of tomorrow. The welfare of NRIs in
the Gulf region is of utmost concern to us. A compulsory insurance scheme for
Indian workers migrating to this region will be unveiled shortly. Parliament is
already considering a bill to establish a welfare fund for the overseas Indian
workers. To meet the educational needs of children of workers in the Gulf, we
plan to reserve a certain proportion of seats in our academic institutions for
the children of the Gulf NRIs.
Friends, Our preparations for this first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, and the
encouraging response to it, have convinced us of the fruitfulness of this even.
We will continue to engage closely with the communities of Indian origin. For
this, we are setting up an Advisory Committee, which will meet periodically to
suggest new initiatives to the Minister of External Affairs.
We are prepared to respond to your expectations from India. We invite you not
only to share our vision of India in the new millennium, but also to help us
shape its contours. We do not want only your investment. We also want your
ideas. We do not want your riches, we want the richness of your experience. We
can gain from the breadth of vision that your global exposure has given you.
When you left this country, you carried with you the primary colors of the
Indian ethos. A cross-fertilization of cultures over time has added new shades
to those vibrant hues. Today we invite you to brush in some of these new colors
onto the ever-evolving canvas of India's development.
GOPIO CONFERENCE IN NEW DELHI - A GREAT SUCCESS
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin
(GOPIO) organized a day-long conference titled Perspectives and Issues of PIO
Communities, in New Delhi on January 8th in conjunction with Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas. The program was held at the FICCI auditorium in New Delhi and
was attended by over 250 delegates from 32 countries.
The program was started with greetings from Dr. Jagat Motwani,
International Coordinator of GOPIO followed by a welcome address by GOPIO
President Dr. Thomas Abraham. Dr. Abraham in his speech welcomed India
Governments initiative to organize Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. GOPIO was formed at
such a meeting in New York in 1989 and has been providing a platform for the
NRI/PIO communities. GOPIO always came forward whenever any PIO community was
in crisis, Said Dr. Abraham. Although, GOPIO is a membership oriented voluntary
organization, it has developed an extensive network through out the world now.
By 2005, we hope to achieve GOPIO chapters in all major cities of world, Dr.
Abraham added.
The conference was inaugurated by the lighting of the lamp by Minister
State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh. Minister Singh said that NRIs/PIOs
were the roving ambassadors of India. They have come to the rescue of Indian
economy and it is because of them that the Indian exchequer shows respectable
balance, Minister Singh added.
Dr. L.M. Singhvi, Chairman of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in his inaugural
address called GOPIO, an important consultative forum and opinion maker. He
said that the Indian Diaspora has done India proud and what they had achieved
was not enough. You have the responsibility to further partnership between the
government and the PIOs, Dr. Singhvi added. Dr. Singhvi also released a book
America and India in a Give and Take Relationship, authored by Dr. Jagat
Motwani.
GOPIO chairman Ram Lakhina of The Netherlands said that the full
potential PIO/NRI communities was not realized till recently. From brain drain,
the community is now recognized as brain trust. The Indian Diaspora has been
instrumental in transfer of capital and technology to India and in forging
marketing links between India and the outside world. He said the relationship
between the government and the Diaspora must change from seekers and providers
of favor to partners in progress for their mutual benefit.
Lord Bhikhu Parekh said that there is no such thing as Indian Diaspora
in general. The Diaspora is country specific and each has its own distinct
problems. Lord Parekh said, If there is an Indian perspective of the Diaspora,
there is also a Diasporic perspective of India and there has to be a realistic
assessment of mutual interests. Lord Parekh called upon India to have a
coherent Diaspora policy. The relationship between the Diaspora and India
cannot be based on love, affection and patriotism the last commodity being in
short supply in India itself. For a coherent Diaspora policy to emerge, there
should be institutional space, a regular forum within India which should meet
regularly. The policy needs to be constantly revised through exchange of ideas,
dialogue between the government and PIOs.
The former Fiji Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry regretted that Fiji
Indians who have immigrated to richer nations have not extended their hand to
help their less fortunate brethren struggling against institutionalized racial
discrimination. Chaudhry Labor Party continues to wage a political struggle for
justice and equity. Chaudhry acknowledged GOPIOs help in raising the issue of
the rights of Fiji Indians at various forums.
Community representatives from the following countries made the
presentations:
Belgium - Sunil Prasad, President, GOPIO Belgium
Canada - Ambassador Kant Bhargava, Canadian Advisor, Council for Shastry
Indo-Canadian Institute, Toronto; Ash Dutta, Canadian Federation of Fiji
Organizations, Vancouver
Fiji - Dr. Ganesh Chand, Former Minister for National Planning, Housing
and Environment
France - Vimal Khosla, GOPIO France, Paris
Germany - Dwarkesh Shah, Former GOPIO Secretary General and Coordinator
for Germany
Guadeloupe - Jean Hira, President, Federation "Bharat a Gua,"
Guadeloupe
Guyana - Yesu Persaud, GOPIO Regional VP for Caribbean Region,
Georgetown
Indonesia - Yashroop Mal Lodha, P.T. Purayashuma Sakti, Jakarta
Jamaica - Prof. Ajai Mansingh, Univ. of West Indies, Kingston
Japan - Vashdev B. Rupani, The Indian Merchants Association of Yokohama)
Madagaskar - Anilkoumar Odavjee Pala, President of Hindou Samaj
d'Antananarivo
Mauritius - Deven Maulloo, General Manger, Motion Film Development Corp.
The Middle East - Syed Ahmed Ziauddin, President, NRIs Gulf Forum,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Netherlands - Dr. H.U. Quereshi, GOPIO Coordinator, The Netherlands
Singapore - Nitin Doshi, Former Chairman, Singapore Indian Chamber of
Commerce
South Africa - Sagie Naidu, President, GOPIO South Africa
Switzerland - J.H. Makwana, GOPIO Executive Vice President, Zurich
Tanzania - Dr. J.K. Chande, Tanzania-India Friendship Association, Dar
es Salam
UK - Dr. K.N. Malik, Author and Journalist, London and
USA - Inder Singh, GOPIO President-Elect, California
The concluding session passed three resolutions as follows:
1. It re-endorsed the Zurich declaration of PIOs, when any person of
Indian origin is abused, attacked or discriminated against in any part of the
world because of his or her ethnicity, all persons of Indian origin around the
world will deem such an act or action directed against all of them and will
stand together in the pursuit of justice.
2. The GOPIO conference in New Delhi urges Govt. of India to continue to
support the struggle of the Fiji Indians to achieve and maintain their just
political, social and economic rights in the country consistent with the
provisions of the 1997 Fiji Constitution and UNs Universal Declaration of Human
rights.
3. The GOPIO conference in New Delhi urges Govt. of
India to expand the High Level Diaspora Committee to a Commission to establish
an ongoing dialogue with PIOs.
The conference
ended with an evening reception where the chief guest was I.K. Gujral, former
Prime Minister of India. Minister of State for Power Jayawanti Mehta was also
present at the reception.
The conference
ended with a positive note with many countries coming forward to start GOPIO
chapters.
CYCLONE HIT FIJI GOPIO SETS UP REHABILITATION FUND
Cyclone Ami which had the destructive force of a hurricane with wind
speeds gusting up to 180 knots per hour caused widespread destruction to
north-eastern Vanua Levu including Labasa and surrounding areas, and to outer
islands in the Lau Groups and eastern Fiji. The official death toll from the
cyclone is 14 so far but rises every day.
Part of the damage in the Labasa area was caused by heavy flooding brought
about by the cyclone. Homes have been washed away, destroyed or substantially
damaged, crops have been ruined, power lines brought down and water supply
disrupted. Hundreds of people are left with just the clothes on their back.
Much of the loss occurred because the cyclone struck at night. Labasa
suffered a complete blackout even before the full fury of the cyclone was
unleashed. Flood waters rose at 4 am washing away homes and families while they
were still asleep. A family of eight at Korotari in Labasa died after being
washed away.
Labasa has suffered massive destruction to infrastructure. The town which was
also subjected to heavy flooding is still just a sea of mud. Mud in the
outlying rural areas is knee deep.
The National Farmers Union and the Fiji Labor Party, who are actively involved
in the relief effort, are pleading to people both locally and outside Fiji for
cyclone relief assistance for these desperate people.
They may have to be supported with food, clothing, water, medical supplies,
school items, books and uniforms, building materials for a considerable period
of time until services are restored and they are able to stand on their feet
again.
For many of the farmers and lowly paid workers this may be another source of
worry. The cyclone has most likely struck a crippling blow to the already
shattered Labasa economy. Many of the small shops and businesses may simply not
have the capacity to re-open leaving many people unemployed. It will probably
take farmers months to get production back on their fields. Fortunately, the
cane harvesting season had just ended but the new season crop would have
received a severe setback.
Cyclone rehabilitation will have to be a massive exercise and will take several
months.
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has set up Fiji
Cyclone Rehabilitation Fund. The funds collected will be channeled through
organizations who are working in the rehabilitation of the affected areas.
Please send you tax-deductible contribution to GOPIO, P.O. Box 1413, Stamford,
CT 06904, USA.
Renowned world class pro-golf player Sir Vijay Singh has extended his
support in GOPIOs fundraising efforts for the rehabilitation of affected
people.
PIO Human Rights Violations Conference
HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVES: The Experiences of East Indians
Abroad
In-Depth Reports, Discussions and Analyses on All Types of Atrocities and
Abuses Against East Indians Living Outside of India in Countries with
Significant Population of People of Indian Origin. Reports on Fiji, Guyana,
Trinidad, Surname, African Countries and others.
Sponsored By St. Johns University, Center on Latin American &
Caribbean Studies, Queens, New York, USA
Date - Saturday, May 31, 2003 starting at 9 a.m.
Venue - St. Johns University, Jamaica New York
Co-Sponsored By Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)
Supported By The Guyanese East Indian Civic Association (GEICA)
And Several Other Institutions & Organizations
SCHOLARLY PAPERS ARE INVITED FOR PRESENTAION.
Please send an abstract to Ashook Ramsaran at ramsaran@aol.com or call 718-353-1900.
GOPIO Chapter News
GOPIO Mauritius Launched on January 24th
The founding Congress of the Global
Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Mauritius was held in
Labourdonnais Hotel, Port Louis, Mauritius in January 24th in the
presence of Shri Mulley, Deputy
High Commissioner of India. The meeting discussed key international PIO
concerns and issues as follows:
(A) Fighting Human Rights Violations of
People of Indian Origin as well as to help PIO communities achieve economic,
social, cultural and political mainstream
(B) Create a Global Interaction with People
of Indian Origin
(c) Encourage business and investment opportunities
among the global community of people of Indian origin; hence our immediate task
to set up our GOPIO Business Council
(D) To disseminate information about PIO
Card and assisting People of Indian Origin to claim and benefit from advantages
of same
(E) Working with home-based governments and
Indian Government with regards to issues of the Indian Diaspora
(F) Support GOPIO International to increase
its visibility at the United Nations Commission for Human Rights/The Human
Rights Watch/ Amnesty International/International Commission of Jurists and the
Carter Commission on current PIO problems around the world
The meeting also discussed the Operational
Tasks of GOPIO
i.
Nation-wide campaign on
mission/objectives of GOPIO
ii.
IEC campaign on PIO Card scheme
iii.
Develop business opportunities
through our Business Council as per established NRI/PIO Economic &
Financial incentives with
iv.
Encourage Education In India
for PIO Card holders
v.
Positioning GOPIO Mauritius
Chapter as credible and strong organization within
GOPIO Mauritius has been set up as a
democratic set up where individual members have a say as well as the
opportunity to elect its officers. To become a member, please contact:
Devendra
MAULLOO
President GOPIO Mauritius
Bacha Business Center
Cnr Felliafe & Rouget Sts
PORT LOUIS
MAURITIUS
Tel: +(230) 208 9925
Fax: +(230) 208 1040
Cell: +(230) 250 0780
Email : dev@intnet.mu
GOPIO Chapter Initiation
One can initiate a chapter and become part
of this global network of people of Indian origin by visiting GOPIOs Chapter
Initiation website www.gopio.net/chapter_initiative.htm to get a copy of the
guidelines governing GOPIO chapters. Alternately, call GOPIOs International
coordinator Dr. Jagat Motwani at 631-421-4688 in USA.
Business and Professional Services Bulletin Board
NRIs/PIOs and businessmen from India are
encouraged to publicize businesses and services though GOPIO Business Council
Bulletin Board free of charge. Please visit www.gopio.net/wboard/bulletin.htm
Visit GOPIOs Official site at www.gopio.net
